From the owner: Nous vous accueillons dans un endroit cosy et convivial, cocktail crêpes et narguilés de tout les…read moregoûts sont disponibles pour votre plus grand plaisir ....

France, as everyone is aware, has one of the finest culinary traditions in the world. In terms of…read morefinding authentic ethnic foods, even in Paris, the task can be exceedingly difficult however. So despite the Michelin and Gault-Millau reviews, which plot the landscape of restaurants throughout the country, the French framework for critiquing food doesn't translate easily into ethnic cuisines. Further, when you walk into one of these ethnic restaurants around Paris, you will realize that all of the clientele is not of the same ethnic background as the people running the establishment. In the case of L'Orchidée, which bills itself as a Thai restaurant specializing in Asian foods, the staff is entirely Chinese and there is nothing especially Thai about the place. The food was a big step down even from the "ethnic" restaurants in the US which cater to Americans. I was surprised to see Papaya Salad on the menu, perhaps my favorite Thai dish. At the Thai restaurants in Jackson Heights, Queens, where there is a sizable enclave of Thai people, this salad smacks of freshness. The salad at L'Orchidée was a bit smelly, the papaya was not fresh, and there was a general sogginess to it. We ordered normal white rice to go along with our curry but were served a reddish rice with cashews, green raisins, tomatoes, and ham, similar to the kind of fried rice I've been served in Chinese restaurants here. The Panang Curry with Shrimp was incredibly sweet and peanuty, with no spice at all. Further, it was watery and lacked the creaminess it usually has. When we received the check, we noticed that the bill was much too high. Somehow they had managed to combine the orders of our table and the table next to us, running up the tab an extra 40 Euro. We notified the waitstaff and they changed our bill. All in all a disappointment to me. But perhaps the French clientele who dine here like it?

This place is huge! I came upon this place while searching for a Persian restaurant that had sold…read moreto the present owners. I wasn't in the mood for Chinese then but today we tried it out. It's a pretty huge sized buffet with a large variety of dishes. My friend was upset by this. He said, "I tried so many different small dishes that I am full yet I don't think I ate anything." There is only one price: 14.20 whether you're there for lunch or dinner. The price does include unlimited fountain drinks. They seem to have an immense roof terrace and I wouldn't mind checking out. Although this place is a bigger, has a broader selection, I still prefer the smaller and more cozy China Town which is also in the area. This place feels too much like a cafeteria or a rest stop along a highway. This could easily be turned into a sports bar and bbq joint and would rake it in since it is next to several university campuses. (Hit me up if you want to start a business!)